THE PARACAS PENINSULA
AND
THE HIGH ANDES OF PERU
SEABIRDS, SALT LAKES, POLYLEPIS AND WEST SLOPE SPECIALITIES
YEAR 2000 FIXED
DEPARTURE AUGUST 16th-28th
13 DAYS
August 16th : Arrive in
Lima and transfer to our hotel in Miraflores. If time permits an optional
excursion to the nearby Villa Marshes can be arranged. Night at Hotel in
Lima.
August 17th : To-day we drive
south of Lima towards Paracas and we will make selected stops along the way in
agricultural areas particularly for Peruvian Thicknee and Slender-billed Finch.
Other possibilities include a variety of Seedeaters including Drab (endemic),
Parrot-billed and Chestnut-throated as well as Short-tailed Field-tyrant. Night
at a hotel at Paracas.
August 18th : This morning we
will spend on a pelagic trip to the Ballestas Islands. On the way out we will be
on the lookout for inshore and pelagic species. depending on the time of year
and weather we could see any of the following - Giant Petrel, Markham's
Storm-petrel, Wilson's Petrel, White-rumped Storm-petrel, Wedge-rumped Storm
Petrel, Cape Petrel, Peruvian Diving-petrel, Swallow-tailed Gull, Waved
Albatross . Continuing on to the Ballestas Islands, the spactacle of these
guano islands covered with tens of thousands of nesting Cormorants and Boobies
is a stunning sight, not to mention the large colonies of South-american
Sea-lion and Southern Fur-seals . Our targets here are the lovely Inca
Tern, Peruvian Seaside Cinclodes and Humboldt Penguin. We'll return for an
early lunch and on to the Paracas Bay in search of Great Grebe and shorebirds on
the mudflats. We have seen Snowy-crowned Tern and Rufous-chested Dottrel here in
the past. In the evening we will look for Peruvian Thicknees in the
irrigated desert scrub. Night at our hotel at Paracas.
August 19th : This morning we'll
spend at the Pisco marshes sorting thru mixed flocks of Gulls, Terns
and Shorebirds. We will surely see a variety of Herons and
Waterfowl. Setting off for Lima we'll make selected stops in the arid littoral
for selected species. Night at Hotel La Castellana in Miraflores,
Lima.
August 20th : Very early start
for the drive to Huaraz in the breathtaking Cordillera Blanca. We'll break the
journey with selected stops for Great Inca Finch and Peruvian Sheartail. In the
late afternoon we'll stop at lake Conococha for typical Andean
waterfowl including Andean Goose, Giant Coot, Silvery Grebe and White-tufted
Grebe. We'll arrive in the early evening at our comfortable Hostal
Andino in Huaraz, frequented more often by mountain climbers than birders!
August 21st : Full day
trip with a picnic lunch to Lake Llanganuco. A more astounding setting cannot
be imagined. Towering above the lake is the magnificent peak of Huascaran, the
highest mountain in Peru. We'll be looking for Canasteros and Ground
tyrants and in the mature Polylepis woodland, we'll be on the lookout for Giant
Conebill, Tit-like Dacnis ( which abounds) and the shy Jelski's Chat-tyrant
(endemic) Other possibilities include Rusty-crowned Tit-spinetail
(endemic), Southern Line-ckeeked Spinetail (endemic), Rufous-eared
Brush-finch (endemic), Black-crested Tit-tyrant, Black Metaltail (endemic).
Selected stops include a search for the Rufous-backed Inca-finch (endemic) and
Pale-tailed Canastero (endemic) which we have seeen with regularity before.
Night Hostal Andino in Huaraz.
August 22nd : Retracing
our steps of the previous day we drive past lake Llanganuco and up
into the higher patches of Polylepis forest. Our two target birds to-day are
the rare mistletoe specialist - White-cheeked Cotinga (endemic) and
Plain-tailed Warbling Finch( endemic). We'll also hope to see Tawny
Tit-spinetail and Ash-breasted Tit-tyrant (endemic). In the afternoon we'll bird
slowly back to Huaraz loking for Andean Condors along the way. Night at Hostal
Andino in Huaraz.
August 23rd : Drive from
Huaraz to Lima to connect with the afternoon flight to Arequipa and
transfer to our hotel in the city.
August 24th : Full day
birding the salt lake of Laguna Salinas and the surrounding puna grasslands.
We'll take a picnic lunch and take it very slowly at the altitude of over 4000
meters. Priority will be given to the salt flats where we hope to see
three species of Flamingo - Andean, Puna and Chilean. These Flamingoes present a
dramatic picture flying against a backdrop of snow-covered peaks. Here also we
will see Puna Plover and Andean Avocet. On the surrounding
grasslands we will be looking for a host of high alltitude Furnarids,
Ground-tyrants and Sierra-finches, but in particular for Ornate and Puna
Tinamou, Rufous-bellied and Gray-breasted Seedsnipes, White-throated
Sierra-Finch , Andean Condor and Golden-spotted Ground-dove. we'll
return to Arequipa for the night. Night in hotel in Arequipa.
August 25th : To-day we'll
retrace our steps but not as far as yesterday. We'll stop in the Polylepis scrub
zone above Chiguata. Specialities here include : White-throated and
Straight-billed Eartcreepers, Black-hooded Sierra-finch, Dark-winged Canastero
(endemic), Canyon Canastero (endemic), Giant Conebill and the rare Tamarugo
Conebill. Working back down to Arequipa in the afternoon after a picnic
lunch we'll bird the scrub - possibilities include Peruvian Sheartail,
Black Metaltail, Aplomado Falcon, Slender-billed Miner. We plan to get the
evening flight from Arequipa to Lima and drive to our hotel in Santa Eulalia.
Night at Hotel in Santa Eulalia.
August 26th : Full day birding the road from Santa
Eulalia to Casta. To-day we will investigate arid cactus associations for
Great Inca -finch (endemic) and watch for mixed flocks working across the
valley sides. Specialities here include Black-necked Woodpecker (endemic) ,
Striated Earthcreeper (endemic), Pied-crested Tit-tyrant, Rusty-bellied
Brush-finch (endemic), Rusty-crowned Tit-spinetail (endemic), Canyon Canastero
(endemic), Scrub Blackbird. We have seen the very rare Rufous-breasted
Warbling-finch (endemic) here in the past. To-night we will return to the
hotel in Santa Eulalia.
August 27th : Full day excursion to Marcapomacocha.
We are birding at extreme altitude here at over 4500 meters, but it's
worth the effort as some very special birds can be found here. We will walk
slowly over boggy river bottoms in search of one of the 3 pairs of the almost
mythical Diademed Sandpiper-Plover we know are here, picking up along the way
birds such as Olivaceous Thornbill, Puna Snipe, Correndera Pipit, Andean Goose,
Crested Duck, White-winged Diuca-finch, White-fronted Ground-tyrant and Bright-rumped
Yellow-finch. Working the boulder strewn grassy areas we will look for
perhaps the classiest of all Cinclodes, the White-bellied (endemic). Here
too we will find the endemic Dark-winged Miner (endemic) alongside the Common
Miner. If time permits we'll visit a nearby lake where Giant Coot
and other high Andean waterfowl occur, and Black-breasted Hillstar (endemic)
feed on the hillsides. After this fantastic day birding amidst
wonderful scenery, we return to our hotel in Lima.
August 28th : Full day
excursion to the north of Lima to the Lomas de Lachay nature reserve. In a
cactus clad canyon we will look for the endemic Cactus Canastero. we should also
find Grayish Miner here (endemic). Later we will explore the greener areas
of the reserve, sustained by fog vegetation created by the cold Humboldt
Current just offshore . We will be looking for Thick-billed Miner and Raimondi's
Yellow-finch in particular ( both endemics). Also here are Amazillia
Hummingbird, Least Seedsnipe , Coastal Miner, Collared Warbling -finch and
Peruvian Thicknee. We return to Hotel la Castellana in Miraflores for the night
or connect with international flights.
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